Pineapple Poker

Pineapple Poker is a variant of Texas Hold’em where players receive three hole cards instead of two. Depending on the sub-variant (Regular Pineapple, Crazy Pineapple, or Lazy Pineapple), players must discard one card either immediately, before the flop, or after the flop. 

Pineapple poker is especially popular in live home games in the US and Asia. 

How it works

• Players start with three cards. 

• Depending on the version, they discard one card before or after the flop. 

• The hand proceeds exactly like Texas Hold’em afterward. 

Relevance for players

• More starting hand possibilities → more action. 

• Stronger hands appear more frequently. 

• Strategy becomes deeper: choosing the right card to discard can drastically change outcomes. 

• Skilled players gain an advantage by evaluating ranges more accurately. 

Relevance for operators

1 – Pineapple increases player engagement due to higher action levels. 

2 – Attractive for casual players who enjoy more dynamic gameplay. 

3 – Works well in: 

• Home-game features 

• Special tournaments 

• Promotional events 

• Low-stakes fun tables 

4 – Slightly increases session lengths due to more interesting preflop decisions. 

5 – Used as a differentiation feature among poker platforms.